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Location: CA : Orange County : Pirate's Cove (AKA The Beac... : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Oct 14, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: It's the Beach. You don't need one.
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Location: CA : The Needles / Kern River : The Needles : The Witch : Igor Unchained (5.9+) : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Oct 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great shot. It really captures the feeling of climbing in that tight canyon between the needles, which gives the Needles something of its intimidating aura.
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Location: CA : The Needles / Kern River : The Needles : The Witch : Innersanctum (5.9)
By: Fat Dad When: Aug 24, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: We climbed it by going up and right above the roof, which feels pretty committing. Your gear are some thin wires in a left leaning crack and, even with a sling on them, climbing up and right just feels like it's going to pull them out. It's pretty solid 5.9+ face though. Like most things, not too bad once you actually commit to it.
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Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Sunshine Face - Right Side : Voodoo Child (5.11b)
By: Fat Dad When: Aug 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was going to say, I don't remember this route feeling anything at all like .11b, especially Suicide .11b, but then I last did this some time back and little stuff could have worn off, etc.
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Location: OR : Smith Rock : The Dihedrals : Chain Reaction (5.12c) : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Jun 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great photo and congrats on the send, but my god that's a stupid trend. When we see sport rappellers do that, don't we all sneer and think they're stupid gumbies?
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Echo Rock Area : Rusty Wall : O'Kelley's Crack (5.10c)
By: Fat Dad When: May 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I've been climbing at Josh since the mid-70s and when I first climbed this in the late 70s, everyone seemed to acknowledge that the cheatstone start was the standard start and the standard, FA start was more off a "direct." The varying amounts of chalk on each seemed to confirm that. No one quibbled about the rating either. Everyone I knew just called it .10c, which seemed right with the cheatstones. Nowadays, the harder start appears to have become the standard, hence all the comments about... more >>
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Echo Rock Area : Echo Rock : Echo Rock - South Face : T.S. Special (5.9 R)
By: Fat Dad When: May 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'd have to climb this route again to opine on the rating. I probably did it some 25 yrs. ago. I wanted to add a comment mostly to say I think it is a good route, even if the roof is far, far harder than the rest of the route. It's an adventure for sure and the roof will really test your will to commit.
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Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Buttress of Cracks : Arcy Farcy (5.10c PG13)
By: Fat Dad When: May 6, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is one of those climbs where if your face chops are up to date, the pro will feel adequate. I haven't done it in years but some now consider it .11a given that many of the small flakes have fallen off over the years. The first clip has gotten increasingly difficult for that reason. A yellow TCU lower down makes for some nice insurance.
BTW, Darrel Hensel solos this. (!)
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : The Outback : Steve Canyon : Deflowered (5.7)
By: Fat Dad When: Apr 30, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Come on about the horror stories. This was my first lead in the (then) Monument. 14, tennis shoes, about six stoppers and hexes. Felt hard at the time, but I remember the variety of the climbing and savoring the summit. A good route, but it's trad. Plan accordingly.
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Barker Dam Area : Gunsmoke Area : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Apr 8, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Wow, that looks wild. How hard has that got to be?
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Buttermilk Country : Buttermilks Main : ... : Evilution (V12-13 R)
By: Fat Dad When: Mar 30, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'm basing that belief on the OLD Eastside guide that had poorly written topos of the Milks. In fact, mine could be a incorrect recollection of a correct description, or vice versa. To be honest, I never cross referenced that against the the new Mick Ryan guide (which I also have) since I've never been good enough to climb that hard that far OTD. I've bouldered there and just also thought that that's where Transporter Room went.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Buttermilk Country : Buttermilks Main : ... : Evilution (V12-13 R)
By: Fat Dad When: Mar 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I think what molony might be thinking of is Transporter Room, an old Dale Bard problem that went up that face. Other than that, I can't say whether "Evilution to the Lip" treads new ground or not.
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Location: CA : Los Angeles County : Santa Monica Mountains : Malibu Creek State Park : Ghetto Wall : ... : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 26, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Wow. What a zoo. Everytime I've been there, I and friends have been the only ones. "Urban" indeed. Fun climb though, but I'd hesitate to give it a .12b rating.
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Location: CA : Riverside County : Mount Rubidoux : Borson's Wall : Borson's Leftside (V1)
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 13, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route would be a 5.10, maybe even an easy 5.10 at Suicide, Josh, etc. Given that, I think the V1 rating is a bit too stiff, especially if Masterlock is only V3.
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Location: CA : Joshua Tree National Park : Echo Rock Area : Echo Cove : Echo Cove - East Side : Halfway to Paradise (5.10a R)
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I've done this a few times over the years and it's always felt hard for a .10a, even on TR.
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Location: CA : The Needles / Kern River : The Needles : The Charlatan : Fancy Free (5.10)
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 5, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Finishing on Spooky is the way to go IMO. And of course do the summit pinnacle, just to finish it off right.
Also, not to quibble on ratings, but this felt more like .10c to me. Earlier that summer I'd climbed some Valley standards like Cramming, Catchy, New Dimensions, etc., and the .10c just seemed right for me. A great route, and well worth doing if someone's on Airy Interlude, Thin Ice, etc.
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Location: CA : San Diego County : Mount Woodson : The Summit Area : Crucible (5.10d) : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 4, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Well that cleared that up.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : Cottage Domes : East Cottage Dome : Comfortably Numb (5.10c R)
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: A nice route. Granted the top is runout, but the climbing is quite a bit easier by that point. Hop on Orange Plasma (.11a) just to the left before doing this one, and the top will feel like cake.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Tuolumne Meadows : DAFF Dome, South Flank : Fingertips (5.10a)
By: Fat Dad When: Feb 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: In terms of gear, a couple of wires doesn't hurt for the first pitch. On the second pitch, a large cam is nice for the double wide cracks that finish off the pitch. Without one, you're looking at a good 40' runout to the anchors, maybe more.
An awesome climb.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Camp 4 Bouldering : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Hey, that n00b looks about to send Ament's Arete. No slouch at a V5.
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Location: CA : Yosemite National Park : Yosemite Valley : Arch Rock : Gripper (5.10b)
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 26, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: OK, I didn't think the flare was the crux, definitely the first pitch; but it sure the heck isn't 5.8 hands like the Meyers guide says. It was too wide for me to fist jam and awkward as heck. I ended up doing a stemmy, liebacky finessy thing to swim past it.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Hwy 166/Silly Rock : Owl Tor : Photo
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Either I'm completely perceiving this angle incorrectly or someone with way too much time and hardware on their hands bolted and chained a boulder problem? From the photo, it looks like someone standing below the climber could reach up and touch him.
Does anyone know the real story on this one?
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Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Sunshine Face - Right Side : Valhalla (5.11a)
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The Troll, an old Idyllwild local, used to say that the black knob on the first pitch was time released for 30 seconds. He's right. Also, despite the encouragement above, don't jump on this just because you've done Sundance. It's WAY harder and the second pitch crux has been the scene of a couple of busted ankles.
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Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Suicide Rock : Sunshine Face - Right Side : Sundance (5.10b)
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: You don't need a huge piece on the first pitch. A single large cam (even a 3.5 camalot or old 4 friend) will do. Mostly, you just have to commit and do it. And, remember, the lieback used to be rated 5.8. Also, as a couple other have said, the traditional finish straight up is tricky and hard to protect. When I fist did this back in the day I talked to a couple of locals and their eyes widen. They claimed everyone finished right on the last pitch of Valhalla. The second pitch will seem mo... more >>
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Location: CA : Tahquitz & Suicide Rocks : Tahquitz Rock : West Face : West Face - Right Side : Fingertip Traverse (5.3)
By: Fat Dad When: Jan 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I could disagree more with cisco. Mathematically, it's impossible. As a beginner's climb, I can think of few better routes, with the possible exception of, say, the East Face of the Third Flatiron. From the step across out of the tree on the first pitch, the exposed lieback on pitch 2, the even more exposed fingertip traverse on pitch 3, it's just all too good. Do it and you'll see.
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